Nameless
by lil' Gambit Lover
Summary: While Gambit is enjoying the single life, the XMen are lead into a mission involving a Professor Vargas and his mysterious assistant. Where will this sinister plot lead them? Especially for Remy... Ch.4 up! Are you ready to ruuuuuuuuumble! P.S. This writer is starving for reviews. Plz?
1. Prologue

A/N: Hello Readers. This is a story that I have been plotting in my head for awhile and finally decided to let out after revisiting a story I had posted here years ago. I've been into fanfiction since high school and I am now (gulp) in my mid-twenties. So gather round kiddies cause Grandma is gonna tell you a story! ;) I typically like to follow A/U and just go with storylines that I know. I'm currently out of the x-men comic timeline so please don't comment how I forgot about something that goes along with that. I didn't forget, I just didn't care to follow it. I'm not a huge fan of A/Ns to begin with either, so unless I feel like it is really necessary or if someone sends a question that probably should be answered, you won't hear much from me except sometimes at the end of a chapter. I intend to post a chapter every week or two, no guarantees, but I can promise this won't end up being one of those fics that you spend a good deal of time on and then without warning it never gets updated again. Finally, major kudos and props to my friend Amanda who has signed on as my beta for this fic! –L

Summary: After Gambit takes some time to finally get over Rogue, the X-Men are going to have to save the world again. This time with a man named Professor Vargas and his mysterious assistant. Can they stop this new sinister plot before it's too late? Be prepared for lots of action and just maybe a bit of romance too. There is no set universe for this fic, and sorry folks, no Romy.

PROLOGUE

It was such a dark, cold evening that Sister Anne not only lit extra candles on her old wooden oak desk, but she had put a few logs on the fireplace & set it blazing. She bundled tighter into the wool blanket draped around her shoulders and began a third time to recite from her bible studies pamphlet. Lightning silently flashed in the distance and the novice nun picked up her head and stared out the large bay window. The sky tonight was a deep, ruddy purple instead of the usual evening navy blue. It was so beautiful, yet almost unnatural. Sister Anne had already noted the color of the sky though, along with the distant lightning flashes. She had looked up because she thought she'd heard a new sound. Almost like a gust of wind, but it had rushed past the window too quickly to be as powerful as it had sounded. She gathered her blanket around her robes so she could stand and approach the window. _I really ought to get back to my studies_, she thought. Sister Margaret would have her teeth if she couldn't recite the Seven Mysteries of Faith at morning Matins by memory.

A rustling sound from outside jarred Sister Anne out of her thoughts. It was probably a raccoon looking for shelter before the rain came. As she turned away from the window to stoke the fire, she could hear the rain suddenly start to pelt down on the 100 year old roof of the monastery. "God protect us and keep us dry", she silently prayed. As she continued to poke and prod at the logs, she thought she heard a faint, mournful wailing. '_Probably that poor creature'. _Then came a guttural, lung-filled cry. That was no creature. She dropped the poker to the floor….that was a baby. A very human baby!

Sister Anne's blanket had been abandoned on the floor as she dashed out of the corner study. She ran down the hall, heart racing, all while the rain fell down in buckets outside. She quickly fetched a raincoat that was hanging on a hook by the side door, and she lit the lantern that normally hung there as well. She burst into the black night searching and straining to listen for the crying as the thunder echoed louder and the fast approaching lightning tore through the sky. The wind picked up in gusts and pulled at the long skirt of the Sister's robe. She gently rummaged through the debris in the alleyway as she began to doubt herself. '_Why on earth would there be an abandoned child out in the alley?' _It rarely ever happened to begin with and when it did the reluctant guardian normally left them on the front step inside the alcove. There was even a large bell tower in front to ring for assistance.

Sister Anne felt incredibly foolish as she moved her drenched bones around the front just to be sure there was no lonely babe waiting outside for her care. She trudged past the dumpster that stood on the corner of the alley and the front of the old building. As she turned the corner, she finally heard a low and constant cry. The novice was shocked at first and then immediately appalled to find that the cry itself was coming from within the dumpster. In a very un-nunly manner, '_God please forgive my impropriety', _she hiked her robes above her knees and climbed up the side of the metal container.

There it was, naked as the morning, lying in who-knows-what filth. Sister Anne carefully balanced her feet on the tiny lip she had climbed onto and bent over the edge to reach the poor babe. It was almost directly in the middle of the dumpster so she had to loosen her grip ever so slightly to stretch farther out. Her right foot lost grip and she slipped down and collapsed onto her stomach on the hard edge. With an "oof!" she did her best to keep her precarious position as she finally reached the crying child. Once in her possession she clutched the precious bundle to her chest and gently climbed back down.

'_Who would ever discard a child in the trash and at a church no less?' _Thank heaven she had been sitting in the tiny corner study in the front or the child would never have been found alive. As she looked down at the naked baby, she suddenly realized that it was burning with fever from being exposed to the elements. Who knew how sick the child really was after laying in a dumpster. Sister Anne found her feet and dashed towards the front alcove. Without stopping in her tracks, she pulled the thick rope of the bell and charged through the front door. "Sisters! God has called for your mercy this night!"


	2. Ch 1  I Wear My Sunglasses At Night

Chapter 1- "I Wear My Sunglasses at Night"

Remy Lebeau was devilishly handsome, yet still a little bit gritty in the looks department. He always managed to have a hint of stubble on his angular jaw line and it seemed like his skin was permanently permeated with the addicting scent of cigarette smoke and booze. Still, the man was the ultimate lady-killer. Tonight he sat in his usual corner at Luke's Tavern. No uniform tonight. He wore just some faded jeans, black boots, an old Aerosmith shirt, and the brown leather duster that he wouldn't go anywhere without. He had pulled the collar all the way up too. His aviators rested gently on the bridge of his nose, well protecting the unusual coloring of his eyes. Signature red on black, like hot coals in a fire almost. This haunt didn't exactly fit his style, mainly because this was not a mutant friendly hangout, but the bartender had gotten familiar with Remy's tastes and was always attentive. Plus, this bar was packed with all kinds of excitement. All types of people flocked to Luke's every weekend. There was the biker pack, the just barely legal frat boys, a never-ending supply of blondes and cougars, sometimes a midget or two even, but never a mutant. And Remy even kind of liked the fact that he was all alone in that respect here at this bar. Sometime it could get tiring hanging out in a room full of super-powered people. This bar grounded Remy whenever he was feeling off.

Just then, Remy lifted his head when his spatial awareness alerted him that Brian, the bartender, was looking his way. A slight tap of his index finger on his glass and he knew a fresh whiskey, no rocks, was on its way. He liked his spirits warm. It reminded him of days long past when he & Lapin would sneak out in the night. Lapin would wait outside in the brush until Jean-Luc's light in his study went out. Then he'd start hurling little stones at Remy's window as a signal to get going. Remy himself would jump out of his bed, fully dressed, scarf up his pilfered liquor bottles from the day and hop out the window and down to his waiting cousin. They'd slink off without a sound in one of the old rowboats and wait until they were far enough away from hearing, and end up drinking and rough-housing all night long. Most of the time, they'd lose track of the hours and come skulking back as the sun would peak its head over the horizon. And mostly every time too, Tante Mattie would be sitting on the porch just waiting patiently as she tapped her toe at them. They never got in too much trouble, but neither of the two boys enjoyed being scolded by her.

A shadow unexpectedly cast over Remy and he looked up into Brian's face. His drink was here. "You know man, one day I gotta get my cousin Larry here to see which one of you can drink the other under the table.", said the bartender. He knew he had well over-served the reclusive man with the shades, but Brian had come to learn the guy was no threat. He always saw the guy's bike left sitting in the parking lot when he was closing up on nights like this. He had never started a fight and he had never been rude either. So Brian had never seen a need to cut him off and usually didn't mind bending the rules for him. The guy had some kind of charm about him. Remy flashed him a grin, "Dat sounds like a challenge!"

"My money's on you man. You're a machine." Brian's eyes sparkled just a hint at that, and then the man turned and headed back to man his bustling bar.

Remy took a swig of whiskey and relished it as it coated his throat and left a warm tingling sensation in his stomach. He closed his eyes and smacked his lips together a few times as he began to reminisce again. That usually happened when he was almost 10 double shots in. Actually, Remy had lost count, but he knew he was somewhere around there by now. He'd probably have to leave his bike here tonight and call a cab.

The sound of a fluttery laugh pulled him away from his thoughts. _A new femme._ Remy looked up and scanned the bar. The sloppy blonde with the balloon-sized breasts was still at the left end of the counter taunting every guy that was just barely legal to be there. She nudged one kid with her shoulder, leaning her head into his chest and shamelessly stroked the inside thigh of the man sitting on the other side of her. All while bragging that she knew how to set her nipples on fire, all she needed was 2 matches and a little water. Definitely not Remy's type, and certainly not the owner of the new laugh. Scanning down, every woman was the same as before. The quiet, sad-looking redhead who nursed her sex on the beach all by herself, the 350lb chick that came in every weekend with the same twig of a guy who was barely 5'5". Remy always wondered why she didn't just eat him! His eyes kept scanning down. Same, same, same. Then he spotted her standing at the other edge of the long bar counter. She politely giggled again as a man with a long dark pony tail whispered something in her ear. Her sparkling eyes darted up and out as she clutched, with white knuckles, onto a briefcase that she held in front of her.

Remy could just tell that she was nervous. Aside from the strained laugh and the fierce grip on the case, he could just feel the nervous energy cascading off of her. Yet, she had an air of strength about her as well, and that was something that Remy liked very much. He could tell a strong woman just by the way she stood. Yeah, this femme was nervous, but both of her feet were firmly planted on the ground keeping her perfectly balanced, her back was straight with her shoulders square, and she wasn't giving up any of her personal space to the man that was flirting with her. She wasn't even leaning her head in to make it easier for him to whisper to her. Rogue had stood very similar to that when he'd first met her.

Remy sighed and took another swig of whiskey at the thought of his past love. Rogue. The pair had finally ended it for good, and it had seemed like forever to get over it. At least for Remy it had. Without much warning, Rogue had gone and run off into the arms of Magneto. The ability to create a magnetic/static force field around himself so that Rogue could actually touch a man without draining him dry, had been impossible for Remy to compete with. And it had been almost impossible for the X-Man himself to get over Rogue. He'd spend most of his time getting trashed in the first few months. Gambit would down a fifth of whatever, break into the Danger Room and have a go at training sessions with all the safeties off. Luckily, it was usually Wolverine who would find him afterward slumped down on the floor wallowing in his own blood and untamed tears. Remy was thankful that Logan was so discreet in those moments. He'd usually help Gambit find his feet and send back to his room to sleep it off or on a few occasions, he'd lift Gambit's battered body and personally carry him to the med lab. Wolverine always came up with an expert lie to keep Henry from reporting the "accidents" to the Professor or Cyclops, the team leader.

Next came the anger. First it was at Magneto, for stealing his love away. After Remy sat dumbly in his own room with some of his precious belongings smashed to smithereens a few times, he decided to break into Magneto's own private base. He managed to mess up anything he could get his hands on, including Magneto's prized Bentley. Gambit new the guy could afford to fix it, and wouldn't even give him the pleasure of confronting him about it, but it still felt good to do it. Plus, Gambit made sure that the car would never be the same again, especially with the permanent smell he had made sure would never be able to get pulled out of the interior.

Remy popped out of his thoughts for the moment and chuckled over the memory of dumping a gallon of spaghetti sauce of the back seat and grinding it in with his boots. Yeah, he was over Rogue and he was no longer angry at Magneto, but that still didn't mean that he would ever like the guy.

For a short time after he stopped blaming "the other man" Rogue had fallen for, Remy started to focus on himself and all of his own faults. He secluded himself from the rest of the team and wound up sleeping for days on end. Ororo had tried to counsel him on it, but nothing was working. It was just another phase of grief that Remy just had to get through himself. It also didn't really help when Rogue herself tried to step in. She had hoped that setting up a double date might do the trick. It was a disaster that ended up with Remy becoming so furious with her that he spent a few nights calling her at ungodly hours just cursing her and spitting any kind of venom he could think of through the receiver. That was the part he regretted the most. While he spent his time hating her, she just patiently waited for him to move on and never once took a chance to get one of her own shots in. Only every once in a while she would say, "Oh Remy. Ah know you're hurtin', but ya know this is for the best. We weren't workin' togetha. We tried Sugah…" The hardest part was that he knew she was right.

It was difficult for him to sleep for a long time after that. Some nights he would just lie awake examining every part of their relationship. He would search over and over again for that one moment where everything went wrong. That one moment, which he later found out had never really existed, plagued him. He wanted to fix things, put it all right again, but he couldn't. The only way that Remy could find sleep would be to bundle up all his pillows and blankets next to him to resemble a sleeping Rogue. He would wrap his arms around them as gently as he had cradled her in the night. He'd imagine only her as he softly whispered into the pillows where her ear would be, "Rêves doux, mon amour". ("Sweet dreams, my love) Even then, he still couldn't sleep peacefully. His dreams were always invaded by her. It was enough for him to have to battle off Sinister all the time, but Rogue joining all the fun in his head was impossible.

For almost a year he had been a complete mess.

But just how summer sneaks up on a person as they wish for it through the whole winter and then suddenly there it is, one day Remy woke up in his bed and he was just over all of it. He would always love Rogue, but he was finally able to let her go and live his own life without her. He'd even decided that being single wasn't so bad. For a little while, he'd had a different woman every night of the week in his company. While that was fun, it did get a little exhausting after a while, so he gave it a break.

Remy did the math in his head and realized it had been almost 2 years since Rogue had left him. At this particular moment, he wasn't seeing anyone specific and he hadn't officially gone out on a date in a few months. It was kind of nice having time all to himself. He could do anything and go wherever he wanted. It didn't mean he wasn't still admiring all the femmes though, as he came out of his thoughts and focused back on the lovely woman standing at the corner of the bar.

She was glorious and magnificently tall. She wasn't quite the height of Remy's 6'2" frame but she had to be at least 5'10" if she wasn't wearing any heels. Her look was enticingly exotic. Her raven black hair was thick and voluminous as it cascaded over her shoulder into tousled curls halfway down her back. The sharp steel cut features of her face were softened by her creamy and incredibly soft-looking skin. Remy's fingers almost ached with the want to brush them along her face. The rest of her body was perfectly proportioned in his opinion. She had a sweetly curved bosom, a small waist that slowly widened at her hips to support the curve of a backside that could make a man weep, and long, lean pearl-kissed arms and legs. If looks could kill, this femme would be a professional in all rights, especially with those cold, icy blue eyes of hers. Remy almost felt dizzy staring into them. They were so pale and bright that they nearly glowed. Simply put: She was stunning.

Remy's mouth started to water as impure thoughts quickly began to invade his utterly male brain. He looked down into his whiskey glass for a distraction, and in one huge gulp finished the last swallow in a hurry. He wiped away the slight sheen of sweat that had begun to bead on his brow and fumbled with his shades to be sure they were still in place. He groped in the deep pockets of his duster and pulled out a wad of cash. Loosely, he separated a few bills to what should be the appropriate amount to pay his bill and leave a decent tip, and threw them down underneath his glass. It was time to turn in for the night, but he couldn't help but steal one last glance at the fiery femme. Remy was very taken with her and if he stayed any longer, he might attempt a pass at her. Not that he was too shy to do so, but he had a feeling the loser taking her attention wouldn't appreciate it. And Remy could not afford to start a bar fight here tonight. He wasn't stupid. This wasn't a mutant joint and he had no backup.

As Remy feasted on the way her short, black leather dress hugged her curves, another man walked up to the pair from behind the bar and gestured for them to follow him. The playboy stood and offered the woman the crook of his arm. She blushed ever so slightly as she shifted the briefcase to one hand and allowed him to lead her with the other. She flicked her neck and whipped her hair back as they travelled the length of the bar behind the new man. Just before they turned toward a door that obviously led to a private room, the lady's eyes broke into Remy's line of sight. In that one moment, she had lifted her head and scanned the back of the room. Her shining eyes instantly locked onto Remy. It was brief but the look she shot at him was as if he had been caught stealing from the cookie jar. She slipped him a slightly coy smile and winked as she turned and went through the doorway. The guy with her was a complete idiot, thought Remy. He had no clue that he'd lost her attention for just a few seconds, and that attention had been given directly to Remy. As the pair disappeared into the private lounge, Remy rose up on unsteady feet and adjusted his trench coat. He wobbled a little and noticed that his balance was off from all the drinks, or perhaps it had been the fine-looking femme. He double-checked that his aviators were still in place. How had she known he was staring?

He smiled, gave a nod to Brian, and stumbled out of the bar. Oh yeah, he'd be catching a cab tonight.


	3. Ch 2 If I Never See Your Face Again, I D

Ch. 2 – If I Never See Your Face Again, I Don't Mind.

Remy expertly pushed a breath of air out of his lungs as he hefted his body up, yet again, with the strength that was left in his fatigued biceps. Slowly, he lowered down and this time he let go of the bar. He turned to grab a towel to wipe the sweat off his face. He gave his unkempt auburn hair a shake and decided he had done enough training for the afternoon. 80 pull ups in a row were quite a physical feat for the day. Plus his stomach rumbled in agreement. Remy's lean, chiseled muscles gleaned with sweat as he toweled his chest dry and pulled a fresh white shirt over his head. Luckily, for any lady that might pass by, the fabric of the shirt was tight enough to reveal the definition of his arms and chest. Remy nonchalantly picked up the phone in the gym to hit the speed dial for Fatty's Pizza. With the mansion basically empty, besides the Professor and Dr. McCoy, Remy was excited to have a supreme pizza with double meat to devour all by himself.

The main reason it was so quiet was that it was Spring Break. Most kids usually went home to visit their families. While all the others with less accepting loved ones, were sheparded out on a trip to Toronto with Bishop and Psylocke. Canada was apparently more understanding of mutant children. Jubilee was determined to finally go out on her own and have a "real" spring vacation. The girl was in Cancun, heaven forbid. And although every X-Man enjoyed forcing Logan to go on the special trip with all those kids, solely based on the fact that he was a native to the country, he had plotted early this year to avoid the torture. He was currently at some undisclosed location hunting down someone from his past. Remy thought it was funny how the feral mutant seemed to have a selective memory. Put some really badass dude slashing around like crazy near his face and he remembered the guy in seconds. Put a smoky eyed woman in his tracks and he needed extra time to recall who she was, and extra time meant extra alone time with her at dinner usually. Remy knew a player when he saw one and he certainly admired Logan's game.

A few other X-Men had gone off on their own private vacations. Just yesterday the rest of the team had been called off to Transylvania to search for a young, distressed mutant the Professor had found through Cerebro. Apparently it was urgent, since the townspeople in the area were convinced the kid was Dracula re-awakened.

"Wait til dey get a look at Nightcrawler", was all Gambit had said when Cyclops asked him to go with them. He'd declined because he wasn't getting anywhere near a demon-obsessed mob armed with pitchforks. Not with peepers like his at least. Plus Cyclops already pretty much had a complete team. Jean was going along to help calm the kid down once they found him and to also spend as much time with her husband as she could. Warren was tagging along to help get an aerial view, since the town was located in a very remote and hilly woodland area. Storm was the final member besides Scott and Kurt, and was going to provide a more 'natural' cover from the locals while the team searched.

Scott had wanted Remy to come because of his past and having lived on the run for a time as a child. He guessed Remy would have good instincts as to where the young mutant might hide. But that just wasn't the case, as growing up in the alleys of New Orleans was far different than hiding out in the wilderness. Plus, Gambit wasn't very fond of bugs, as he had told Cyclops for his final decline to the mission.

Mostly on his own in the mansion now, Remy sauntered upstairs to the main level and pulled a box of cards out of his pocket as he flopped down onto the couch in the front sitting area. He wanted to save time. There was a side door for deliveries, but the pizza boys always ended up messing that up. Somehow, they always managed to deliver to the front door. Plus Remy's stomach was now constantly rumbling in reminder of the dire situation and need for pizza right away. He didn't feel like playing 52 card pick up so instead he nonchalantly flicked the cards onto the coffee table to setup a game of solitaire. Remy methodically picked away at the cards as each minute slowly ticked away on the old, ornate wall clock. Close to ten minutes later, the chime on the front door went off and Remy was so excited that he just grabbed a wad of cash from his duster and bounded over the couch towards the door. This was only going to take a second. Grab the pizza, throw the cash, shut the door and the deal would be done; pizza-eatin' time!

Remy whipped the front door open with a dramatic flair. He was in motion to underhand toss the money when he looked up and stopped dead in his tracks. Glowing, icy orbs of blue were locked onto his eyes; the same ones from last night. For a brief second Remy wondered if they would melt if she stared too long into his hot coals. '_Merde!'_ he thought, he'd abandoned his shades downstairs while he'd been working out. Remy ducked is head down as fast as he could and clumsily shouted out, "Deliveries go to de side door homme." And without wasting another moment he slammed the door shut and leaned heavily against the back of it just in case for some reason the strange, yet very beautiful, woman was to try and rush in anyway. He immediately realized that he was breathing heavily. He just stood there pondering. _'Dat was de femme from last night! How'd she find me and what de heck is she doing here!'_

Remy's heart was beating a million miles per second. If this woman had tracked him down from the bar to here and had gotten enough time to notice he was a mutant, then he'd be in big trouble with the Professor. The school itself was a cover within a cover. It was not only a place for young mutants to harness their powers while having a safe place to grow up, but underground was the base for Xavier's team; the X-Men. For all the outside world knew, it was just a school for gifted youngsters, as in higher learning. Not flying and blowing up shit as well.

The front door chime ringed again and Remy snapped back into action. "Um excuse me?", came the woman's voice. It was smooth as honey even as she attempted to shout through the thick front door. "Uh. I'm not a delivery unfortunately. Well…and plus there's no signage as to where this side entrance might be." There was a long pause as Remy continued to decide what to do. "Anyway, um, I have an appointment with a Professor Xavier…" she halted again, seeming unsure, "at one o'clock...I'm a bit early…."

Remy sighed, she sounded so desperate and forlorn. He glanced around and then remembered that Cyke always kept a spare pair of shades in the coat closet. He dashed over to grab them and pushed the glasses up over the bridge of his nose just to be sure of their placement over his odd eyes. His heart and breathing had mostly slowed down so he opened the door again. The woman had just begun to turn away but snapped back in his direction at the sound of the door groaning with the motion of being opened. The sun was bright today so she had to cover her eyes with her hand in order to see Remy. _'Good', _he thought, _'she prob'ly didn't catch dis ole' cajun's eyes.'_

"Ah yes, hello!" she spoke.

"So de Professor, eh?"

"Xavier, yes," she nodded.

Since Remy now had a chance to get a good look at her again he noticed that other than her eyes, she looked very different from the night before. Her long tousled, raven black hair was now slicked back and imprisoned in a tight bun. Her eyes were framed by a pair of dark, square spectacles and she wore a black blazer with a knee length skirt. The only skin showing was her shapely calves and just a bit of her décolletage. She looked very executive, but Remy didn't mind, she was still the hottest looking nerd he's ever seen! Plus she was still sporting a pair of black mile high heels, which helped to put her just about to Remy's eye level. _'Damn dis broad is tall!" _he thought to himself. From the way she was now looking at him, with her brow furrowed and head cocked to the side, it was obvious she didn't recognize him. That also meant that she really was here on business.

"Won't I come in?" she spoke. Remy blinked and realized that he'd been staring too long.

"Ah, Oui. Won't you?" He stepped to the side and gestured inside with his arm.

"Don't mind if I do. Thank you." Her heels clicked on the marble flooring, but she didn't go any farther than just inside the door. She felt almost uncomfortably close to Remy and he finally noticed she was carrying a briefcase.

"Here let me take dis for you." He offered. She blushed a bit and replied, "Oh, I'd prefer not. Professor Xavier? Is he available now perchance?"

'_Man dis is getting awkward' _thought Remy, _'Better go get Charlie.' _"Sure, let me go get him. Just wait here." He said. With that, Remy calmly turned the corner and as soon as he was out of her sight, dashed over to the Professor's study.

Charles Xavier was at his desk preparing his third quarter lesson plans for the psychology class he taught. True, his X-Men, like Logan and Gambit, taught the students how to fight for themselves and hone their mutant skills. However, he preferred to teach them to expand their minds. He did his best to intellectually challenge the children, so he always meticulously charted out intense class sessions. His work was suddenly interrupted by a very familiar, Cajun voice. "Hey Prof. You got somebody wait'in for you out front."

Xavier closed the binder he had been flipping through and replied, "Ah yes, my meeting with Professor Vargas." He glanced up at the wall clock in is study. It was barely noon. "He's quite early. I wasn't expecting him for another hour." The mansion's resident thief chuckled a bit and then tapped on his noggin. "Looks like you ain't payin' much attention. It be a she." At that statement, Xavier scanned the grounds as light as a feather with his mind and smiled when he realized he had been caught off guard since he now only sensed a new female presence. "Hm. Curious.", he said to Gambit as his hover chair silently maneuvered its way into the corridor. As they made their way down the hall, Xavier filled Gambit in on the situation. "I see you had sense enough to put some sunglasses on and I would suggest that they remain on until after this appointment is through. These are just regular people I am dealing with today. They have no idea who and what we are. Normally, I wouldn't even allow such a meeting on the grounds but with mostly everyone gone, I didn't see a problem. Plus, I have some questions that I need to ask Professor Vargas, or whoever it is he has sent in his stead." Gambit nodded to the Professor as they turned the corner and entered the main front room where the mysterious woman had sat herself down in the exact spot Remy had been playing solitaire. She was gently lifting the cards and setting them into place. By the looks of it, from Remy's vantage point, she was close to winning the round.

The Professor cleared his throat and she went rigid as if she had been caught stealing candy. The woman stood and walked around the couch in order to offer the Professor her hand while the other carefully clutched her briefcase. "Hello Professor Xavier my name is Claire Banks and-,"

"My meeting was to be with Professor Vargas," he interrupted without accepting her outstretched hand. She immediately realized her error in being so forward and so withdrew her hand. Yet she had not quite yet given up. "Correct," she replied, "However, my employer had to leave for Egypt quite unexpectedly. An excavation project of his over there had a major development that he had to attend to. I'm his personal assistant, and before he left he provided me with all the necessary materials for this meeting."

The Professor sensed no lie in her explanation so he backed down a bit on the intensity. "Well, as much as I appreciate that Miss Banks, I'm a very busy man, even during school recesses. I would have preferred a phone call more. I'm sure the good Professor could have arranged one of those as well."

She sighed, "I do apologize, sir. I'm positive he could have called but I'm quite sure that he intentionally did not in order to keep this meeting from be cancelled or rescheduled. He's a busy man too and he's on a tight schedule. It's imperative that we meet."

"Alright then, follow me." Xavier gestured for Gambit to follow as well. "Miss Banks, this is Mr. Lebeau, the head of my security detail." She turned towards Remy and held her hand out at the introduction. "Pleasure," she said. "Oui," he replied as he gently shook her hand. _'Oh god, her hands are as smooth as dey look' _he thought absentmindedly. Xavier took over the conversation as he led the group down the hallway. "Mr. Lebeau will be waiting outside while we are in our meeting. Once finished, he will escort you out."

"Agreed," said Claire.

They all arrived at the study and the Professor ushered Miss Banks inside, all while sending Gambit a mental message to stay alert. Remy wasn't fond of letting Charles mentally project anything to him, but if it meant more time learning about this woman, then he was more than happy to oblige. Something about her just sent him all a-twitter, and he simply couldn't get enough.

Xavier shut the door behind him as Clair seated herself in the modest leather chair in front of his desk. She gently set her briefcase down on top and she graciously waited for him to adjust his hover-chair just behind it. Then she began, "Well you see Professor Xavier, my employer is in need of a detailed list of all documented mutants and he is under the impression that you may have one."

Charles rested his elbows on the sturdy desk and slightly leaned forward. He let his hands touch at the fingertips just below his chin. "I am well aware what it is he is looking for", he said, "What I don't know is why. From what I've heard of Professor Vargas, which is very little, he apparently collaborated a few years ago with a man named William Stryker. I'm not pleased with this. I would like to make it clear to you Miss Banks, I do not approve of any of Stryker's experiments and I am wary to assist any of his former colleagues. Especially with anything regarding mutants."

Claire knew this would be a difficult discussion so she was prepared to defend her position. "I completely understand your apprehension sir, but let me assure you; Professor Vargas never worked with or for Dr. Stryker. He was simply pursuing information. The same information he is looking for from you now: a list of all known mutants. He actually found Stryker's experiments to be very distasteful himself."

Xavier held his ground. "Be that as it may, even if I had a list of mutants, how could I be sure that he has no intention of using it for ill?"

"Well there's no actual way to prove it short of trusting his word." Claire was getting bolder. "Look, Professor Vargas knows that you are a leading man in the mutant rights movement. He is willing to make a trade with you for the list." She tapped her cargo on his desk. "In this briefcase I carry official case documents from Stryker's experiments that my employer has obtained. They are very detailed and they are all legitimate originals either signed by Stryker himself or written on legal government paper. It could all be useful to you in your political fight against him…"

Xavier let the tension build. He knew she had reviewed them and he knew that there was a lot of legally binding information inside. But he also knew, without sensing it from her, that in a court case it would all find a way to fall through. Stryker was the government's most favorite pet and it would do close to anything in order to protect him. Having those case documents could all but be useless to the Professor.

Claire did her best to dangle some better bait and clicked open the briefcase. She pulled out a black, weathered leather journal. It had an infinity symbol burned into the front cover. "I am also in possession of the Destiny Diaries. Heard of them?" She waited only a moment and continued, "Apparently these are journals written by a certain mutant who claims to have the power to see into the future. The diaries mostly pertain to the renegade mutant group called the X-Men, but it does give a very detailed perspective as to what will come of the world. Professor Vargas is more than willing to trade both items for a master list of mutants."

Charles Xavier really deplored scanning too deep into people's minds without permission, but in this instance he had to, if only a little. He combed just under the surface of her current thought process and delved into the sector that held memories and thoughts of Vargas. He saw a brief meeting of the two with Vargas giving her instructions of what to say. He saw Vargas open a vault and fill the briefcase with documents. So everything she held actually was an original; that much was true. Claire was telling the truth, but just under the surface he could feel a mistrust that she held towards Vargas. He could sense that this was because she herself had no idea why he was searching for a catalog of mutants. Xavier pondered all of the information. The Destiny Diaries could prove to be useful to his team. He knew enough about them and the mutant who wrote them to be sure that her powers were quite reliable. The mention of the journals mostly involving the X-Men was drawing in the Professor's curiosity. Could he take a risk in order to obtain them? Without knowing what Vargas was looking for, Charles wasn't sure that he could forge a convincing fake mutant list. There was no point in just openly admitting that he actually didn't have a written list of mutants either. Perhaps if he suggested that he might have one, Vargas would remain interested, while Professor X took the time to investigate him more.

Xavier sighed. "I'm sorry Miss Banks, but there is no way that I could risk the safety of hundreds of anonymous mutants just so I could have some predictions written by a mutant who claims to have the ability to see the future. Even if I had a list, of course."

Claire forced a smile. She knew she was now the one being baited. "Of course."

He gestured towards the door and said, "I'm sorry I could not assist you, but feel free to contact me if your employer is in need of anything else. As of right now though, there is nothing more for us to discuss."

She rose from her seat, took the briefcase back in hand, and began to reach for the door. "I'm sorry too. I'm sure Professor Vargas will attempt to contact you again on this matter."

Just before the handle clicked she was cut off from her exit by the Professor. "Miss Banks?" "Yes?" She turned to face him.

"I have no problem with speaking to Professor Vargas himself, but I will not tolerate any more surprises. Nor will I even consider assisting him until he is willing to come completely clean with me. It's unnerving when someone is willing to offer almost anything in order to get information they want. It's even more concerning when their own personal assistant has no idea why either."

Claire's eyebrow slightly lifted at the last statement. She seemed surprised that the Professor had sensed her confusion towards Vargas' project as well. Somehow he had been able to tell that she was completely out of the loop. In an attempt to cover her shock, she simply nodded and replied, "I will inform him. Good day." Then she swiftly opened the door and left into the hallway with her coveted briefcase.

Remy had lazily propped himself against the wall across from Xavier's study. He had leaned back so deeply that his back was entirely flush to the wall and his long gangly legs were splayed out far in front of him. It was almost as if he was lounging in a reclining chair, only he was still standing. It was very catlike of him to find a very comfortable resting spot all while remaining in the oddest of positions. He'd closed his eyes and rested his head back and to the side with his chin slightly pointing upwards. Remy had no idea how long this strange meeting would take so he had decided to take a risk and light up a cigarette. Smoking was banned inside the mansion, but the way Remy saw it, no one was here right now so where was the harm?

Just as he was slowly releasing the smoke of a long drag, the click of the door handle and the groan of the oak door, startled him back into alertness. He opened his eyes as Claire stepped out into the hallway towards him. He absentmindedly flicked the cigarette out of his fingers and then, too late, remembered that he was standing inside; on carpet no less. He made a sound to berate himself for such a silly mistake that was half hiss, half clicking of his teeth, and then swore along with it. "Merde!"

He shook his head to clear out the cobwebs of napping and scooped up the cigarette butt that was now scorching the carpet where it had landed. _'Couillon'_, he thought to himself as he fumbled with the red hot butt and the window latch that seemed to stick, at the same time. He knew he must look either insane or like a complete idiot to Claire as she quietly watched his impromptu juggling display. Finally, the hated cigarette butt had been deposited out the window and Remy turned back towards her as he wiped his ashy, burnt fingers on his pants. "All finished 'den?" he asked. "Yes," she said. And Remy noticed for the first time that she seemed a bit flustered.

He began to walk down the corridor, towards the main entrance. She didn't walk beside him; only trailed along behind. Just before they reached the end of the hall that opened up into the voluminous atrium, he turned back to look at her and asked, "Is every'ting alright petite?"

Her head was hanging lower than before when she had first entered the mansion and she had barely been paying any attention to him. She raised only her eyes up and seemed unsure of what to say. She actually looked as if she was dying to break her silence and spit out everything on her mind. But she didn't. Instead she just nodded and said, "I'm sure everything will be fine soon."

A little part of Remy was cringing inside at seeing the beautiful woman so defeated. He finally escorted her all the way to the front door and opened it for her. He made a gesture with his hand outside and gave her one of his spicy Cajun grins. She barely noticed and just muttered a "thank you" his way, then exited. A black car, her ride Remy assumed, had been waiting in the driveway. The driver stepped out as Claire approached and opened the back door for her. She gracefully disappeared inside of it with her briefcase. Remy just stood in the doorway and soaked in every last sight he could get of the woman before she escaped his view. _'Claire', _Remy mused.

As the car moved down the long driveway, Remy felt the Professor maneuver his hover-chair next to him. "So what was dat all about Prof?"

He sighed, "Honestly, Gambit? I'm not quite sure as of yet. She works for a man named Vargas, who is currently searching for information on certain mutants. I have no idea who he wants to find or why, but I intend to find out." With that, Professor X turned himself around towards his study, on a mission to make some phone calls to his colleagues regarding Vargas, and his project in Egypt.

For himself, Remy just stood in the doorway. He'd barely listened to Charles. This woman could very well be dangerous, but Remy couldn't get her out of his head. And when had he ever erred on the side of caution in his life? Claire. He wondered if he might be able to run into her again at Luke's…


	4. Ch 3 I'm in Complete Control That's Wha

Ch.3 I'm In Complete Control. That's What I Tell Myself.

Three nights had passed since Miss Banks had visited the mansion and Remy had spent every one of them at Luke's Tavern on his own personal stakeout. With his blazing eyes properly hooded by shades, he would sit in his usual corner, constantly scanning for that gorgeous figure of hers. He was trying to remain discreet, but Remy was positive that Brian knew something was up. On the first night, Remy ordered his whiskey the usual way. However, as the night wore on, Brian was biting at the bit to refill it as Remy did his best to nurse the shot all night. That was the first time at Luke's, or any other bar really, that Remy had made it through the entire time with only one drink. The next evening he sent Brian into shock after changing his usual table as well. He'd picked a more central spot to get a better view of the front door and was closer to the bar in case he had to get up from it in a hurry.

Tonight, Remy had already been sloshing his first, and only, shot of whiskey around in its glass for close to 4 hours. The glass itself was barely even halfway drained. Brian never mentioned a word about Remy's new, strange behavior. Perhaps the crisp fifty dollar bill that he'd been leaving behind with his drink every single night since he had started his vigil at the bar had something to do with that. He didn't know how long it would take to run into Claire there, but he just knew in his gut that eventually it would happen. He just hoped it would happen sooner rather than later. Forcing himself to watch a never-changing bar crowd night after night without even a decent buzz going was beginning to take its toll. Lady Luck must have been listening to Remy's complaints in his head because just at that moment he noticed the familiar sound of 4-inch heels clicking into the bar.

Remy's shaded eyes shot up towards the door and were rewarded their prize. Standing there in a gun metal grey pantsuit was just the woman he wanted to see. Claire. Except for the change in suits, she basically looked the same as she had at the mansion. '_So de first night I saw dis femme here wasn't a usual type of night for her'_ Remy noted. Plus, she was still lugging around the briefcase. Claire also didn't notice Remy as she stalked out a spot for herself near the end of the extensive bar. In turn, Brian hadn't noticed her yet as he had his back turned while he was catching up on washing some pilsner glasses. However, Claire placed two fingers to her lips and let on a quick and sharp whistle that caught his attention. He lifted his head and turned in her direction, then smiled when he caught a look at her. Obviously the bartender was familiar with Claire. As he stepped over to her, Claire leaned over the bar ever so slightly and whispered something into his ear. Remy could feel his face getting hot, and was tempted to get up right then and walk over to her before he had to get his world crushed by finding out that they were lovers, but his instincts told him to wait it out. He continued to watch as Brian responded by leaning back away from her a bit and shaking his head at her with a slight frown.

With that quick exchange, Brian shrugged his shoulders at her in apology and went on with tending his other bar customers. Remy settled slightly thinking to himself that it was most likely proven that the pair was not a couple. Claire just stood there with her arms crossed and looking not only disappointed, but suddenly very out of place. She uncomfortably looked along the length of the bar and over to the private room that she had snuck off to before. Remy was ready to approach her but he wouldn't be able to sneak up on her like he wanted to with her looking around like that. He would have to wait for the right moment. Claire finally took a seat on a bar stool, tucked the briefcase onto her lap, and propped her elbows onto the bar. She sighed so forcefully that Remy could see her shoulders rise and fall from the effort. Brian had noticed her dismay and expertly glided back to her. He seamlessly grabbed a rocks glass, a bottle of vodka, and in a blur of a few seconds slammed a purple-colored concoction in front of her. He smiled at her again, as she jumped in surprise at his little gift. It was apparent that Claire had never received a drink on any of her visits before. Brian didn't stay to speak to her though, so Claire was left alone again just giving her drink a quizzical look. Remy seized the moment and slinked over to the edge of the bar. He made sure to stay back and behind of her icy, cold glare. He wanted to catch her off guard because he was planning to use his charm power on her. It usually worked best when his "victim" was dazed and confused to start. Also, usually getting them to look directly into his eyes gave him the full effect of his power, but since he had to keep the shades on he already knew it would be dulled. Silently, Remy slipped into the empty barstool next to Claire's just as she began to swivel her stool around. Their movements ended up sending them directly within inches of each other's fronts.

"My dontcha look like a fish outta water!" Remy exclaimed.

Claire had unmistakably been oblivious to Remy's presence since she fumbled with the drink she had just grabbed, and inevitably just dumped all over herself. She squeaked as soon as the accident happened and effortlessly snatched her briefcase up with her free hand to keep it from getting soiled. Her suit however, had not avoided the spill. Remy now felt a little guilty for startling her so badly and tried to calm her down by flashing her a grin as she spared him another glance. Personally, he ached to be that spilled beverage across her chest. She was quite distracted though, and began to do her best to wipe her suit jacket off. She was failing miserably, since one hand was occupied with holding the briefcase and the other still clutched at the now empty glass.

"Oh my. Oh….goodness," she whimpered. Claire stepped close to the bar and tried to get Brian's attention by setting her briefcase on her stool at snapping her fingers in his direction. "Club soda! Bartender! Club soda please!" she shouted as politely as she could. Brian, for the first time Remy had ever seen, was preoccupied with a pretty young woman who had placed some earphones over his head.

Remy stood and reached behind the bar to grab the pop gun. He quickly grabbed Claire's now empty glass and filled it with club soda for her. "Guess we got a jumper too, neh? My apologies chere."

She grabbed a cocktail napkin, accepted his gift, and began to dab at her suit. "Thank you. I'm sorry I wasn't really expecting anyone to-" She stopped mid-sentence as she finally lifted her head and caught a good glimpse of who was actually talking to her. She suppressed a chuckle as she recognized the man who had startled her. "Well, Mr. Lebeau", she smiled.

"De one and only," he retorted. "I wasn't sure you would still remember me."

"Well of course I do" she said, losing interest in her ruined suit. She angled her body toward him and locked her eyes onto his shades. "You're the head of Professor Xavier's security detail for his school."

"Dat be right." _'Good' _he thought _'got her lured like a fish on my line in de bayou'. _ His charm power usually was stronger when his eyes were exposed but he had enough skill to get it to work just the same. He just couldn't be as direct with it, so he made sure to send out a strong empathetic feeling of friendliness and calming energy. He really just wanted to lull her so she wouldn't run off. He knew the longer he could speak with her the more willing she would be to stay on her own accord.

"Do you come here often Mr. Lebeau?" she asked.

"No it's my first time here," he lied. He could feel her emotionally tense up at that a bit so he pointed to the stage where a band was just finishing their setup. "Came to check 'dem out."

"Oh." There was an awkward pause that was quickly filled by the loud, blaring music of the punk band. As the lead singer screeched something unintelligible into the microphone Claire dazzled Remy with a smile and yelled, "Quite an interesting taste in music you have Mr. Lebeau."

"Remy," he shouted back to her, but she didn't understand so she lightly clutched his bicep with her free hand and leaned in close. "I'm sorry what?"

"My first name is Remy."

"Lenny?"

"No. Remy."

"Reggie?"

He shook his head while smiling. "Re-my." Never had he had so much trouble getting someone to pronounce his name correctly.

Claire looked like she was about to say something but burst out laughing instead. This time she put her very lips right up to his ear. "Would you like to get out of here and get some coffee with me Remy?"

He couldn't have been happier. An angel was standing in front of him, wanting his attention. He nodded in agreement and she swiftly took off for the front door with her briefcase. Remy saw that Brian had noticed their exchange so he whipped out two fifties and slapped them on the bar to signal their departure. Brian grinned as Remy flashed him a quick salute and continued his pursuit on Claire.

As soon as Remy stepped foot outside of Luke's, Claire seamlessly snuck her arm under and through his and began to lead him down the street. His old Southern charm that had basically been beaten into him by his adoptive Father, Jean-Luc, kicked in and he better fashioned a spot for her delicate hand in the crook of his arm. He placed his hand on top of hers to keep in cradled in his arm and was pleased to feel how silky and smooth it was. "Where to?" he asked.

"Just down to the corner here. There's a coffee shop that stays open all night. I'd like to discuss some things with you."

16 YEARS AGO

They were all assembled in the tactical room, with the instructor supervising their progress. Their ages ranged from 12 all the way down to 4. That was the only noticeable difference between them all at this stage. Once all 15 of them had been selected for the program, their hair had been closely cut along their heads and dyed a dark shade of brunette. Every one of them wore the same uniform, a black form-fitting jumpsuit. Nothing here was personalized. It was all part of the program. Now they did need specific training individually in order to work as a unit, so everyone was numbered. It was easiest that way in order to not discern sex or nationality between each one. Numbers 1 through 15, that was the only thing that differed between them all.

The group was now piecing together rifles and then quickly disassembling them. The goal of this task was for everyone to do it at the exact same speed in order to improve uniformity. The instructor clicked her timer to stop the current round. It was an impeccable time; 21 seconds, but it was still a failed attempt since it was only one subject in particular who had finished with the rifle. All of the others were barely halfway through. "Reset," called the instructor.

Number 8 looked to Number 3. "Slow down. You are causing us all to fail." Number 3 turned their head and looked Number 8 square in the eyes. "Speed up. The purpose of this task is for all of us to be perfectly in sync at a fast paced time. If I must handicap myself in order for that to happen then not all of us will be perfect and we will have failed in another way." The conversation was over as soon as it had started, so they both turned back to the front and focused on the exercise once again.

The instructor grinned. They were all the same. Not one of them was better than the other. Save for one of them. Number 3 was pure perfection. "Again."

It was a considerably short walk, barely even a block. The coffee house was small but they managed to find a secluded table in the window, especially since it was close to 2:30 in the morning. There wasn't much of a rush for coffee at that moment either. Remy was amused to see Claire daintily stirring a cup of tea, while he was masterfully pretending to enjoy a large cup of Colombian brew. It was obvious that neither of them were big fans of such libations as coffee and yet here they were.

"Now you don't mind my asking but," she clinked the rim of her teacup and set the spoon down on the saucer, "are you head of security for the school or just the Professor himself?"

The question was odd and Remy was beginning to wonder if he had actually charmed her at all. Perhaps she was only interested in him for other reasons. Luckily, he was an expert liar as well as a master thief. He knew the most important rule of creating an illusion: keep it simple.

"Well, more personal security I guess, but he don't like to broadcast dat," he said. And the game began. He was going to stick to his cover until he learned more about Claire.

"I see. Well that makes more sense," she responded. Remy decided to jump into her lure. "How do you mean?"

She squirmed a bit in her chair and continued the conversation. "Oh well, when I was there earlier and he introduced you as the head of security. It just struck me as odd. It being a school and all, plus it's spring break right?"

Remy grinned, "You a sharp one," he drawled. Claire giggled in return. "Oh stop, I just notice details. You know, like your accent. Most would assume its French, but I'm guessing it's something more attuned to this continent. I could look more North like Canada, but I'm betting it's from a more Southern region?"

"Girl you impressive!" he was now smiling like the Cheshire cat. "Oui. Cajun to be exact."

"Aha! Oh I'm good," she gloated. "Well now that's all settled…"

He leaned in closer, "But you have more questions," and finished her sentence for her.

"Correct. Why is it that the professor has a personal security detail to begin with? I don't see many scholars walking around with bodyguards much either."

_'Wow"_ Remy thought, '_this femme is ruthless!' _He decided to risk going a little deeper. "You know he fights for mutant rights, yeah?" Claire nodded. "Well so does everybody else. Good and bad. Over de years he had more and more bad attention, so he hired muscle."

"I see."

Remy felt like it was time to turn the conversation around and get the ball in his court. But as he was about to start, Claire jumped in again. "So what are your credentials? FBI? Ex-military?"

"No, no, no. Uh…" This was getting uncomfortable and out of hand. It was time to rely on the second rule: Try to add as much truth as possible. "I used to be a t'ief."

Claire's eyes widened just a bit at receiving that information and she quieted down for him. "Look I'm not proud of 'dis, but I got caught breakin' inta' de vault in his study."

"No way!" clearly this type of talk was exciting to her. Now he had her like a fish on a hook. "Tell me," she said and she flitted her fingers towards him, motioning for him to continue.

"A few years back I broke in dere late at night-"

"So you knew who he was," she interrupted.

"Yes. And he had somet'ing I wanted." Claire was literally gaping at him. "The unregistered mutant list?" she asked. "No. Tuition." Clearly it wasn't the answer she had been hoping for. Claire calmed down slightly and sat back in her chair. "Oh."

"See I knew all his students paid cash, more private dat way. And I had information dat it all got deposited on Monday morning. De very next day de night dat I snuck in. So dat vault was burstin' at de seams wit' cold hard, untraceable cash. But as I was loadin' up my loot, ole' Charlie just walks in; like he knew I was dere." As Remy was fabricating his tale, he could tell that he was slowly losing her interest, especially since he had tarnished the idea of there actually being a mutant list. _'Golly she be obsessed over dis list. I wonder why?' _he thought. While Remy was deciding what to say next in hopes of getting her attention again, something else he had said apparently peaked her curiosity.

"He just came in? Not knowing your intent at all?" she asked.

"Yup. Jus' wheeled his self right in, one of de best poker faces I ever seen."

"You didn't trip an alarm maybe?"

"Nope. I may be retired from t'ievin' but I was de best. No one sneaks up on Ga- Remy!". _'Dat was a close one' _he thought on his near slip with his codename.

"Except for Professor Xavier."

"Yep" He paused a moment. Claire waved her hand at him again. "Well go on!"

He smiled to himself, "Well dere he was, and I just freeze. So he starts talkin' all calm-like. Saying dat he's doin' his best to change de world for de better and dat he can tell dat I'm looking for some'ting greater in my life-"

"Were you?"

"Well yeah in a way. So he says he can tell dat I am worth much more den as a criminal. Says he believes in me and if I want I can come back tomorrow and deposit de money and den work for him as long as I want."

"That's a lot of trust to put in a stranger." Claire was just eating this story up.

"Don't I know! It was so weird, but I really felt dat he did believe in me. So much dat I agreed."

"Just like that!"

"Sure. I mean, he made his offer, clicked de light off and den left. He didn't even wait for me to decide dat night. So I packed up wit de cash, slept on it, and was back de next day."

"You deposited your stolen loot for him!"

"Course I did. I don't know why but he made a big impression on me, and I haven't regretted my decision once since den." The story had been fabricating but his admission to never regretting being a member of that mansion was nothing but truth.

Claire went for another sip of her tea but realized her glass was now empty. She must have been intensely sipping on it the entire time. "Well that is some tale."

"Yeah, I guess." '_Enough wit story time' _he thought. Now it was Claire's turn to do some talking. "But enough about me. How 'bout you? What is it dat brought you cross my path?"

"Oh well, nothing as grand as your story. I did the usual, went to school, wanted to be a lawyer, couldn't find a job, so I became an assistant. Unfortunately my employer doesn't have as great a faith in me as yours does." She shared a slightly apprehensive look with Remy as if wondering if she should continue. Remy felt it and used his empathy to create a feeling of safety for her. It must have worked since she swallowed her fear and then went on. "It's not his fault really. See he has this ongoing project. Part of it is based here and the other is in Egypt. He's trying to find a direct genetic line to mutantism, which of course is even just politically difficult to do."

Remy suddenly realized how much pressure Claire must be under. If he fully understood what she was saying, then Professor Vargas was searching for the cause of the very first mutant to ever exist. If anyone ever found that information, it could be huge. Claire continued, "He recently almost completely ran into a dead end, but Egypt has lent him another clue, but it's not much. His best chance is to review known mutant lines and trace them back in order to see how certain genes evolve through a family line, but with the mutant registry being so controversial, all he has are fragments to work with."

Remy was letting her talk, he could tell she was dying to get this off her chest, but it was time to get more serious. "Dis sounds massive."

"It is. Years of work!"

"But why?"

She furrowed her brow at his question, "Why what?"

"Why is he lookin'?"

"Plenty of reasons! To better understand mutant genetics, which could lead to hundreds of thousands of new discoveries and outcomes for the better of mankind!"

"Or for worse…."

She stopped on her rant and leaned in. "Look, I don't know Professor Vargas that well, or his intentions, but this is information that needs to be found. Then the world can fight over it and use it for good, ill, or however it chooses."

Right then Remy felt it. Mistrust at her mentioning Vargas. So there was something she wasn't saying, but just then she looked up at the clock on the wall. "Oh my goodness, it's past 3am!"

He turned to look, "Guess it is," then turned back to see her gathering up her briefcase. "Wait, why de sudden rush?"

She was frantic. "I live all the way on the other side of the city!", she shouted as she rushed out the door. Remy was right behind her as she vigorously walked towards the bar. "So?"

"I came here with a driver. He usually waits for me but if the bar closes he will assume I went with another driver. Professor Vargas has an extensive team."

As they approached the bar, Remy could tell it was well past closing time. All the lights were shut off and it was eerily silent. Instead of rushing to the parking lot, Claire ducked into the alleyway on the opposite side of the building. Remy scoffed at her oblivion to safety and rushed right after her, but the alley was clearly empty of everyone and everything. Her ride had obviously left. Claire pulled a phone from her suit pocket but then threw her arms up in exasperation after poking at it a few times. "Of all the luck! My driver is gone and on top of that my phone battery is completely drained. Not like I could call for another driver anyway…"

Remy could see the poor girl was losing it. "What am I to do now?"

"Easy. Ride wit' me."

"With you? But I hardly know you."

"Chere, I protect people for a livin'. I t'ink you'll be alright wit me."

She took a moment to consider and then agreed. "Well what choice do I have anyway?"

Remy lead her out of the alleyway and towards the parking lot. Her eyes scanned the empty lot and then fixed on the only vehicle there. Remy's Harley. "That's yours?", she pointed.

"Sure is.", he said as he nonchalantly strolled up to his beloved bike. Claire was left standing a few feet back. "You know, I'm not so sure-"

"Ah come on Claire. Live a little!"

"This really isn't a very safe mode of transportation."

"Definitely not."

"I have my briefcase."

"I'll put it in de trunk."

She nervously laughed at that one, then inched her way closer. "I have no helmet."

He unhooked his only one and tossed it her way. "I got a spare." She caught it in one hand and held it tightly and unmoving. Remy wasn't sure if this was going to work just as she finally gave in and exclaimed, "I guess I'm out of excuses. So how do we do this?" She set the briefcase down in order to latch the helmet onto her head. Remy snatched it up and as she reached her hands out to start to protest he cut her off. "Calm down. I'm gonna tuck it up safe in de front. You just get on behind me."

Claire knew there was no more arguing to be done as Remy hiked his leg over one side in order to straddle his Harley. He slipped the key out somewhere from one of the many hidden folds in his trench coat and revved the engine to life. Claire delicately balanced herself off of his shoulders as she swung her leg over the bike as Remy had done. She managed to find a foothold, even in her heels, and nervously sat back. He could feel her fear and couldn't help but smile. _'Newbie', _he thought. "Hold on chere!", he called over his shoulder as he lifted the clutch, clicked into gear and let the bike peel out with full force on the accelerator. Claire felt the pull and instantly leaned forward and clutched her arms around his waist. "Just tell me when it's over!", she yelled into his back where she was finding shelter for her face.

Not much longer after that he remembered to ask her where exactly to go. Every once in awhile she'd say, "Turn here", or "Take the next left". Other than that, neither of them spoke. Claire's body was completely flush to his backside and to Remy the warmth of her body felt damn good. He knew Claire was glued to him purely out of fear, but he'd take it. The last woman on his bike had been Rogue. Sharing his ride with a femme was special in a way, it involved trust. He was pulled from his thoughts when he finally heard Claire say, "Here. The gray brick building."

He slowed the bike over to the side and dropped his foot down to keep the bike balanced as he stopped it. Instantly he felt the night chill on his back as Claire scrambled off and handed him back his helmet. He secured it back in its place, Remy never wore his helmet, then traded the briefcase to her.

"Thank you," she said, "I guess this is goodnight then."

"Guess it is," he crooned to her with his Southern drawl. She awkwardly gave a little wave and turned to walk inside. "Sweet dreams chere!" he shouted just before she made it to the door. Caught off guard, she paused and then turned back his way. She held her ground a moment but then rushed her way back to the bike. Her eyes sparkled into his sunglasses. Very slowly, she leaned in, and Remy realized that he was hoping that she might actually kiss him, since he had begun to close his eyes in order to receive it. There was a long moment of nothingness, and then Claire politely cleared her throat. Remy popped his eyes open and noticed that Claire's beautiful lips had been replaced with a business card in front of his face. "It was nice talking to you tonight. Here's my number if you'd like."

"Oh. Er, sure. 'Kay."

"Goodnight." she whispered to him and then sashayed back to her front door. Remy watched her backside wave goodbye to him all the way until she was inside. _'Oh boy Remy' _he thought, _'What you got yourself into now?'_, as he felt butterflies flutter in his gut.

He closed his eyes again just before starting his bike up. He had to savor this moment. He used his spatial awareness to take in the whole night. The misty darkness. The gentle sounds of a sleeping city. Even the acrid smell of tar mixed with copper as the wind brushed across his face. _'Wait', _he thought, _'Dat ain't right. Tar and copper?'. _His eyes flashed open. There was only one thing that Remy knew had that distinct smell and it wasn't city air. It was a mutant he would as soon forget if he could.

Sabertooth.


	5. Roar at the Door, My Mind Can

Ch. 4 Roar at the Door, My Mind Can't Take Much More

Remy jumped off his bike and soundlessly scurried around to the back of the building. He crouched down low and stayed in the shadows as he scanned up the building. Five stories up Remy could see lights flash on from of the windows. With no way of being sure it was Claire's apartment, he was forced to scale the emergency ladder. It creaked a bit as it gave way to his body weight, but he made sure to make no more of a disturbance than the average alley cat would.

As he reached his target, he carefully peered in through the window. To his left, he could tell he was looking in through a living room and Claire was at the other end. There was an open kitchen attached directly to the living room and she was standing over the stove to heat up a pot of tea. Just then, Claire casually turned and walked into the living room. As she did so, she began to unbutton her suit jacket, revealing a skin tight black satin blouse. She marched through a door to the right and disappeared from Remy's view. His window options were placed right between a wall, so Remy ducked over to the window on his right. As he peered in, he noticed she had flicked on a small table lamp and had lifted the blouse overhead to reveal a very sexy dark purple lace pushup bra. She seamlessly leaned over her bed just a bit as she carefully began to unzip her skirt. Remy realized she was in the act of completely undressing and for once in his lifetime, he started to feel dirty while peeping in on such a private act of hers. So he ducked under the window and turned to rest his back against the wall in a low crouch. He could hear her humming along to herself as she nonchalantly visited several areas of her room. Remy could just picture that perfect silhouette of hers strolling gloriously around in the lace underwear. He was so tempted to sneak another peak, but he resisted. He heard another light switch click on and not too soon after he could hear the drumming of the shower water against the basin. What he wouldn't give to have a little bathroom window to peer through. Then he heard the worst sound ever; the door shutting. He carefully stretched himself out and peaked inside. It was true, Claire was all alone to herself in the shower now and Remy was left standing all by his lonesome on the emergency landing, feeling like a fool.

What was he thinking? Catching scents was Logan's thing. 'Why on earth would Sabertooth be here stalkin' Claire 'de the first place?' Remy thought. He was probably just so taken by her that he was coming up with excuses to spy on her. Remy chuckled at the predicament that his overactive mind had lead him to and then proceeded to climb back down the protesting fire escape. It had just begun to drizzle and Remy lifted his head to take a quick sniff just to be absolutely sure. Nothing. So he leisurely straddled his bike, and was ready to start the engine. 'Dis is one for de record books', he teased himself.

Without warning, a window from above crashed open and a large object came crashing to the ground just behind Remy into the alleyway. Slightly startled, Remy looked up to see that it was Claire's bedroom window which it had broken through. He swung his leg over and jumped off his bike. A quick look proved the object to be a broken chair which had fallen. Remy wasted no time scaling the fire escape upwards all while scolding himself for not trusting his first instinct. Sabertooth or not, something was obviously wrong and Claire was clearly in danger.

He leaped onto the window ledge and peered into the now pitch black bedroom. Not even the bathroom light was on and Remy could make out that the door was wide open. There was no sign of Claire. However, something large and imposing began to move from a corner to his right.

"Did ya catch her?" There was a menacing growl and Sabertooth himself came swaggering towards him. Remy was confused by the question but had no time to reply as out of the darkness, a lamp was smashed over Sabertooth's head from behind.

"No." That was definitely Claire's voice and Remy was just a little relieved to know that at least up until now, she was safe. From here on out, he intended to keep it that way. Luckily, Claire had managed to catch Sabertooth off guard and he growled in frustration. Whatever had happened beforehand had caused him to believe that Claire was out of his fur. Although surprised at Claire's presence, Remy knew it wouldn't take long for the feral to recover and regroup.

Faster than the eye can see, Remy whipped out his bo staff, which he always kept hidden in the expansive folds of his duster, and extended it to full length. For once in his life he wished he had a deadlier weapon, like a samurai or even a bazooka. He wasn't thrilled at the idea of having to fight Sabertooth in close quarters with no backup and just his old fighting stick. On top of that, using his powers was out of the question in front of Claire. He flattered himself at being such a good X-Man at remembering the Professor's order about not letting Claire find out they were mutants.

Sabertooth bellowed and turned himself in Claire's direction, which was perfect for Gambit as it left the beast's back wide open. He launched himself in the air while winding his arms up and behind him as if preparing to take a swing at home plate. Most of the power in a mid-air attack like this had to come from his back and shoulders, but Remy was a skilled enough fighter to not need the assistance of leg muscles to deliver a massive blow. He aimed just at the base of Sabertooth's skull, where his spine started at the neck. Sabertooth wouldn't go down with one blow but this one was gonna come close and hopefully screw up a lot of his motor functions. If it could be seen in slow motion, a bystander would have seen the perfect fluidity of Remy's strike just as he came into range and then released everything that had been wound up like a slingshot. The Bo staff reached its intended target with perfect accuracy, as Remy ever so slightly slacked up his grip on the weapon to cushion the blow for himself. Crack!

It was a good hit. Sabertooth was now face down on the floor wide-mouthed and drooling with his eyes slightly rolled back. Claire had scrambled back into the shadows as Remy gracefully landed on his feet.

"Too bad fer you, fils de putain, you stink so bad you can't sneak up on no one."

Gambit's victory was expectedly short-lived as Sabertooth was already rolling to his side and curling his legs underneath him, preparing to pounce. Remy knew this wouldn't be a short tussle, but his initial goal had already been reached. The focus was now on him and not Claire. At least he had a fighting chance. She would have been like a lamb being lead to slaughter.

He took a step back to find a balanced fighting stance and began to spin the Bo staff in front of him in anticipation. He didn't see Claire but his spatial awareness told him she was holding fast along the wall. 'Smart girl', he thought to himself.

"Why don't you just butt out Runt!" Sabertooth interrupted his train of thought. He pushed off of all fours directly at Gambit with claws blazing out in front. The slow dance was over. Now it was time for the all-out brawl. Remy had kept the staff spinning to knock the heavy paws away. With deadly speed he palmed it over his right forearm and thrust it up into Sabertooth's jaw, by pushing down on the end close to his own body. The blow connected but it didn't do anything to slow the massive bulk of the feral mutant colliding with him. Not only was Sabertooth big, but he was all muscle. Remy could testify to that as he got slammed into with full force. He had managed to slightly twist to the right to protect his face and vital organs but he had still been dazed and knocked flat by it. He couldn't let this slow him down. The key to besting a larger opponent was to be faster than them. He shook his head clear of the cobwebs and saw that Sabertooth was lying on his back. Just beside him. Remy was pleased to know the large mutant was stunned as well. About half of his jaw had been knocked off the side of his face. A quick check of his grip notified Remy that he luckily hadn't lost his Bo staff in the collision. He couldn't afford to lose his only weapon. In that moment, he decided that he needed more space from his enemy, so he wobbly got to his fee. Sabertooth's eyes fluttered open and a low growling erupted from his lips.

"Whew boy! I sure hope you's got dental!" Remy shouted as he burst through the bedroom door into the living room. He turned at the sound of metal door hinges snapping and had barely enough time to duck down low as Sabertooth hurled the entire bedroom door in his direction. The cumbersome object went crashing into the open kitchen area. Remy afforded himself a glance back into the kitchen, as it made an overwhelming racket. 'Dat's sure to wake de neighbors, if M'sieur Tooth's ruckus hasn't already!' he thought. He didn't have much time to ponder if that was a good or bad thing as he heard Sabertooth begin to snarl again. His attention snapped back to the massive beast that was approaching him.

Just then, Claire flung herself from behind onto Creed's back. She began to pull at his fur and scratch at his face. All she had on was her lingerie and silk robe from earlier, so she was clearly not protected from his deadly claws. Adrenaline must have kicked in and clouded her senses because clearly the gal was outmatched. Sabertooth's eyes gleamed with murderous lust over Claire's mistake. When dealing with him, it was best to avoid the razor sharp talons rather than jumping into their reach. He began to laugh sinisterly as he clutched behind himself. He grabbed her robe and threw Claire over his head, onto the floor at his feet.

'Come to Poppa!' he bellowed. His yellow stained fangs were barred as he raised his claws at Claire; preparing to shred her apart as she lay in a messy heap, clearly terrified. Claire's wail brought Remy into action. He catapulted himself into a low run, scooped her into his arms, while rolling them both through Creed's wide-legged stance. Remy briskly pulled a curtain down from along the wall and whipped it over Creed's head. As Sabertooth struggled with it, Remy prepared himself to fight again, but not before sternly placing Claire along the wall out of harm's way. Before he could run off, she desperately seized his jacket.

"Wait!" she stammered. Remy was going to say something to her like, "Don't worry you'll be safe here", or, "I'll protect you", but she didn't give him the chance.

"Don't start any fires", she said under her breath. Having pulled his face closely, "I left the gas from the stovetop on!" she said. It was an odd thing to think of at that exact moment, but the worry in her eyes was very clear, which gave Remy an idea.

"I'll handle 'dis chere", he said, placing his hands on her shoulders in an attempt to signal her to stay put. He could hear Creed shredding apart the fabric obstacle as he snapped back into action. The monster was already clear of the curtain and rushing full speed at Remy.

'Perfect', he thought as he scrambled to reposition himself into the middle of the room with his back to the kitchen. He locked his Bo staff out in front of him with both arms and steeled himself for the hit as Sabertooth built up speed. Just before contact was made, the X-Man grimaced and released a shout of his own to provoke Sabertooth into using all of his power.

At the last possible second, Remy made a risky move by dropping his staff to the ground and clutching to the fur of Sabertooth's chest. Instead of thrusting against the feral's momentum, he used it by falling back with it. Remy smoothly rolled his back onto the ground and drove his powerful legs into Creed's gut. The move brought his opponent overhead and airborne in seconds. Once Remy knew all of Creed's bulk was being launched towards the kitchen, he let go and allowed inertia to do the rest of the work.

There was a deafening clatter as Sabertooth uncontrollably crashed onto the center island and continued to plunge down and through half of the oven. Gambit flipped onto his stomach and turned his head to get a visual on Claire. She had stayed where he'd left her this time along the wall near the window.

Before a second could pass, he reached with both hands into the pockets of his trench coat. He expertly slipped a card into one hand and fumbled out an old lighter with the other. It was clumsily maneuvered to light the card and wasn't really needed, but Claire was watching intently. Remy was still bound and determined to hide his powers from her. He leaked some of his kinetic energy into the card as he ignited it with fire. He focused on controlling a time-lapse in the detonation of his miniature bomb. Then he flicked it into the kitchen.

As soon as the flaming card took flight, he heard Claire gasp out a frightened, "No!" He gathered his staff to him and sprung off of the floor to race over to Claire. Out of instinct, she clutched at him while he scooped her into his arms.

Sabertooth growled and Remy just couldn't resist turning back to look as his little card settled on the countertop that Creed had crashed into. He knew he had only seconds before the time-release would go off, but that was all he needed. As Sabertooth was looking his way after finding his feet, Remy shouted, "Au revoir M'sieur Tooth!" He tossed in a quick two-finger salute from his forehead as well.

"Wait!" Claire suddenly screamed as she shifted out from Gambit's hold, throwing him off-balance. Without warning, the plan to escape was going to hell. He scrambled to grab her back while she started reaching inwards towards a chair. He noticed that on it sat her precious briefcase.

"Forget it chere!" he yelled, but that was all he had time to do as the charge went off and ignited Sabertooth, the kitchen, and over half of the living room. The aftershock sent him crashing through the glass window as he lost his already precarious hold on Claire.

'Dat was way bigger 'den I thought it'd be', he thought as the black of night outside abruptly enveloped him while the ground quickly rose up to catch him in its deadly grasp.

To be continued…

A/N: Thanks for reading so far. I try to speed up my updates as much as I can but I'm a bit of a perfectionist so it's hard for me to approve a final edit, plus I'm a bit lazy in the that I only write up a detailed summary, then write chapters as I go when submitting. A bit contradictory, I know. Anyway, I hope everyone is enjoying, there is lots to come. Stick around, and if you feel compelled to leave a comment, I do so appreciate your graciousness.

Next up: We'll see what kind of condition poor Remy is in after his encounter with Sabertooth, and we just might get a little more insight on this mysterious Subject #3. More clues on the way!


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